Wheel-flange lubricator.



J. H. MINER.

WHEEL FLANGE LUBRIOATOR.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 9, 1911.

1,933,919; Patented July 30, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAFH IO-,WASHING'ION, D. C.

I UNI].

JAMES H. MINER, OF LUMBER'ION, MISSISSIPPI.

WHEEL-FLANGE LUBRICA'IOR.

Application filed November 9, 1911.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES H. MINER, citizen of the United States, residing at Lumberton, Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVheel-Flange Lubricators, of which the following is a' away by contact with the wheel flange, may

be automatically fed forward to keep its front end in the proper position.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention includes the novel features of construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved apparatus as shown in its relation to the car wheel, only a portion of the car wheel being shown for simplicity of illustration. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral 1 designates the wheel of the car, and 2 a stick of lubricant which may be of any suitable stick material, preferably of graphite type. This stick 2 is carried preferably by a carrier sleeve 2, which sleeve is slidably mounted within a guide or support 3 which is preferably in clined downwardly toward the car wheel flange, as shown in Fig. 1. The guide or carrier member 3 is supported by a leaf spring 4 riveted or otherwise secured to the top of the guide, the upper end of which is secured to a lug 6 of a member 6 which is adjustably secured upon a rod 10 project ing from or carried by a suitable part of the frame of the locomotive, car, or motor truck by which the wheel 1 is carried. The member 6 is held clamped to the rod 10 by a set screw 6 Depending from the member 6 and spaced from spring 4 is a rigid arm or projection 15, and a bolt 7 passes through the leaf spring 4 and the arm 5,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1912.

Serial No. 659,423.

and is provided with a nut 8 by which the amplitude of the vibration of the spring 4 may be controlled.

It will be understood that normally and when the car is running upon a straight and level track the spring arm 4 will hang with the end of the lubricant stick just out of contact with the wheel flange, so that upon straight smooth tracks where no lubrication is necessary, there will be no wear upon the graphite stick. Upon crooked uneven tracks and curves the shocks and jars will cause a swinging movement of the guide or carrier 3, the spring yielding to permit this, with the result that the graphite stick will contact frequently with the wheel flange, thus properly lubricating the same.

It is obvious that unless some means were provided for feeding the stick forward it would soon wear away at its end. The amplitude of the swing of the stick would not be sufficient to bring it into contact with the wheel flange, and as it is not feasible to make these adjustments mechanically, I have provided in the present device means for automatically feeding the stick forward to compensate for the wear. For this purpose I provide the slide 2 with rack teeth 2 and the guide or carrier 3 is slotted on its upper side. These rack teeth are engaged by the teeth of a gear 11 which is carried by a shaft 11 journaled in lugs 12 projecting from the bifurcated lower end of the spring arm 4. Fast on this shaft 11 is a ratchet wheel 13 with the teeth of which engages a pawl 14 pivotally carried at the lower end of a rigid arm 15 depending from the member 6. The arrangement of the parts is such that as the carrier swings toward the wheel flange, the pawl 14 engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel will tend to turn the latter, feeding the stick forward, and if the surface of the graphite stick has been worn back sufficiently, sufficient movement will be imparted to the ratchet wheel to feed the stick forward the distance of one tooth, the spring detent 16 preventing any return movement. If, however, the graphite stick has not been worn back much, the amplitude of vibration or swing will be limited by contact of the graphite stick with the wheel flange, thus preventing the feeding movement. The pawl 14, as will be observed, is pivoted so as to be capable of rocking one way on its pivot to permit it to ride overthe teeth on the backward swing of the carrier.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A wheel flange lubricator comprising an inclined carrier, means for supporting the same in proximity to the wheel flange permitting the same to move toward and from the wheel under shocks or vibrations,

a stick of lubricant slidably carried within said carrier, and means rendered effective by the amplitude of movement of the carrier for feeding the stick forward as the endthereof wears away.

2. In a wheel flange lubricator, a carrier supported so as to have movement toward and from the wheel, a slide within the carrier, a stick of lubricant carried by the slide, and means for moving the slide within the carrier rendered operative by the amplitude of movement of the carrier.

8. In a wheel flange lubricator, a tubular slotted carrier supported so as to have movement toward and from the wheel, a tubular slide within the carrier, a lubricant stick carried by said slide, a rack on said slide in line with the slot of the carrier, a gear wheel engaging the said rack, and pawl and ratchet mechanism for effecting rotary movement of said gear wheel when the movement of the carrier exceeds a certain amount.

4. In a wheel flange lubricator, a suitable carrier, means for supporting the same in proximity to a wheel so as to have swinging movement toward and from the flange thereof, a lubricant stick located within said carrier, means for feeding the said lubricant stick forward within the carrier, and pawl and ratchet mechanism controlled by the amplitude of the swing of said carrier for controlling said feed.

5. In a wheel flange lubricator, the combination with a flanged wheel, of a suitable vibratory supporting member in proximity to said wheel and having a forked lower end, a slotted carrier supported by said forked member, a lubricant stick supported within said carrier, means journaled between the arms of the forked member for effecting feed of the lubricant stick within the carrier, and pawl and ratchet mechanism controlled by the amplitude of the swing of said forked member for controlling said feed.

6. In a wheel flange lubricator, a vibratory forked supporting member, a slotted carrier member supported from the lower end of said forked membeiya lubricant stick slidably supported within the carrier, a feed wheel journaled within the arms of the forked hanger, and operative through the slot in the carrier for feeding the lubricant stick, a'ratchet wheel in connection with said feed wheel, and a pawl pivotedon a fixed support for engaging sald ratchet wheel.

11 es imon w er a xm aou Itt yheof,Ifli s1n re in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. MINER.

Witnesses:

J. B. SALMOND, L. C. PIGFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

